MARINE DEPARTMENT LIBRARY
retirement, and the approval of new posts each year it was obvious that the capacity of the School must be expanded and ways and means of achieving this were being examined.
8. Complementary to the planning of Force training and expansion to meet the needs of our rapidly growing population must be the planning of buildings for new Police stations and training establish- ments. Certain projects came to fruition whilst the planning of others was advanced. Most important of the latter was that work on the detailed plans for a new depot for the Police Tactical Unit at the Lung Cheung Road was commenced and a site of one million square feet was reserved for it and other associated projects. Planning also proceeded on many projects the most important of which were the new City Police Station, the New Territories District Headquarters, four Divisional stations and eight Sub-Divisional stations.
INCIDENTS INVOLVING THE POLICE
9. Following torrential rainfall a landslide occurred in the early morning of 13th June, 1968, at Ma On Shan Village on Hong Kong Island which resulted in the deaths of sixteen villagers. Police participated in the search and rescue operations and the evacuation of persons from areas where further landslides appeared imminent.
10. On the 17th September, 1968, an explosion occurred setting fire to two ships, s/s 'Cerberus' and 'Coastal Sentry' berthed off a ship- breaking yard at Junk Bay in the New Territories. A total of 56 people were working on the ships when the explosion occurred and five workers were killed and 17 persons injured, including a Fire Services Officer. After lengthy enquiries, an investigating team, comprising representatives of the Police Force, Marine Department and the Fire Services Department, established that the explosion had been caused by the ignition of an explosive mixture of air and gas given off by crude oil in the tank of s/s 'Cerberus'. The source of ignition was not traced. As a result of this investigation, the management of the shipyard concerned was prosecuted under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance, Chapter 281, and the Dangerous Goods Ordinance Chapter 295, and was fined a total of $9,000 on 19th March, 1969 at North Kowloon Magistracy.
RELATIONS WITH THE PUBLIC
11. Harmonious relationships with the public are essential if the Force is to carry out its duties in the community effectively and
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